Thomas Edison

Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Edison was not born into poverty in a
backwater mid-western town. Actually, he was born -on Feb. 11, 1847 - to
middle-class parents in the bustling port of Milan, Ohio, a community that next to Odessa, Russia - was the largest wheat shipping center in the
world. In 1854, his family moved to the vibrant city of Port Huron, Michigan,
which ultimately surpassed the commercial preeminence of both Milan and
Odessa....
At age seven - after spending 12 weeks in a noisy one-room schoolhouse
with 38 other students of ll ages - Tom's overworked and short tempered
teacher finally lost his patience with the child's persistent questioning and
seemingly self centered behavior. Noting that Tom's forehead was
unusually broad and his head was considerably larger than average, he
made no secret of his belief that the hyperactive youngster's brains were
"addled" or scrambled.
At 15, Al roamed the country as a "tramp telegrapher." Using a kind of
alphabet called Morse Code, he sent and received messages over the
telegraph. Even though he was already losing his hearing, he could still
hear the clicks of the telegraph. In the next seven years he moved over a
dozen times, often working all night, taking messages for trains and even
for the Union Army during the Civil War. In his spare time, he took things
apart to see how they worked. Finally, he decided to invent things himself.
After the failure of his first invention, the electric vote recorder, Edison
moved to New York City. There he improved the way the stock ticker
worked. This was his big break. By 1870 his company was manufacturing
his stock ticker in Newark, New Jersey. He also improved the telegraph,
making it send up to four messages at once.
During this time he married his first wife, Mary Stilwell, on Christmas Day,
1871. They had three children -- Marion, Thomas, Jr., and William. Wanting
a quieter spot to do more inventing, Edison moved from Newark to Menlo
Park, New Jersey, in 1876. There he built his most famous laboratory.
http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html
https://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/a-brief-biography-of-thomasedison.htm